Senator Eldridge Highlights Key Provisions in Next Generation Roadmap Climate Change Bill that Legislature Passed

Senator Eldridge’s legislation on environmental justice, solar equity, increased solar power purchasing by utility companies, and gas safety included in final bill

Boston, MA -  In March, the Massachusetts Legislature passed nation-leading climate legislation, S.9 An Act creating a next-generation roadmap for Massachusetts climate policy. This nation-leading legislation is the most significant update to the state’s clean energy and climate change laws since 2008.

“I’m deeply grateful to the commitment by Senate President Karen Spilka, Speaker Ron Mariano, Senator Mike Barrett, and Rep. Tom Golden on crafting a comprehensive bill that combats climate change from multiple angles, touching transportation, buildings, carbon emissions, racial and economic equity, and embracing new methods to tackle global warming,” said State Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton). 

“As someone who has been deeply committed to combating climate change throughout my legislative career, I am very proud that several pieces of legislation that I filed last session were incorporated into the final bill, with a particular focus on racial and economic equity, including environmental justice, solar equity, solar capacity, and gas safety.” 

These provisions include:

• Environmental Justice
  This bill codifies environmental justice provisions into Massachusetts law, defining environmental justice populations and providing new tools and protections for affected neighborhoods. Environmental impact reports will now be required for any project likely to cause damage, within 1 mile radius of an environmental justice population and within 5 miles for those projects expected to negatively affect air quality. The bill ensures translation of written information into languages spoken by nearby residents and interpretation at public meetings so that everyone can learn about a project and share their opinion with decision makers. It also requires public meetings to be held in convenient locations at times when people are able to attend. “This is a historic moment for Environmental Justice in Massachusetts. Black, Brown, Immigrant, Indigenous and low income communities for too long have been sacrificed zones and suffered as a consequence of inaction” said Co-conveners of Mass Environmental Justice Table, Maria Belen Power of GreenRoots and Andrea Nyamekye of Neighbor to Neighbor. “This legislation will begin reversing decades of environmental racism and systemic oppression. The MA EJ Table applauds the incredible work of our sponsors, House and Senate leadership, our allies and partners. We would not be here without the decades long work of so many partners across our Commonwealth. Today we celebrate!” 

• Low-Income Solar
  The legislation prioritizes equitable access to the state’s solar programs for low-income communities. It permits the distribution of solar net metering credits regardless of ISO-NE load zone, and requires the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) to provide Equitable Access & Energy Affordability when initiating a regulatory process for any new solar incentive program. "The provisions on increasing access to solar energy for low-income residents that were sponsored by Sen. Eldridge will make it easier for low-income households to participate in the benefits of solar energy when they are not able to place solar panels on their own rooftops,” said DeWitt Jones, President of BlueHub Energy, an affiliate of BlueHub Capital. "Residents with low-incomes are often unable to place solar on their own roofs because they are renters, or their roofs are not in good shape or the roof is shaded by adjacent buildings or trees. These new solar policies will make it easier for low-income households to save money on their energy bills and allow them to do so without getting locked into complicated and restrictive contracts."

• Solar Capacity
  The legislation increases the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) by three percent each year from 2025–2029, resulting in 40 percent renewable energy by 2030; starting in 2025, RPS increases 3% each year; reverts to 1% after 2029. "MassSolar truly appreciates the legislature's passing of the landmark Climate Bill, S9, as it exempts Class II & class III (aver 60 kW and over 1 MW) solar projects from the net metering cap for all behind the meter (on-site) loads and also allows for the transfer of net metering credits not only between an Electric Distribution Companies (EDC) load zone, but even between different Electric Distribution Companies (''utilities"). Although the legislation did not include residential and small commercial Class I (<60 kW) facilities, we sincerely hope the legislature will take this fix up this session" said Haskell Werlin, Co-Founder, MassSolar & Director of Business Development of Solar Design Associates."We also applaud the Massachusetts Legislature increasing the RPS which will help to incentivize all renewables, including solar. The RPS is the backbone of renewable energy development for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. We hope the Governor will sign this bill into law as soon as possible, because addressing climate change boldly is vital to our survival as a species,” continued Werlin. 

• Gas Safety
  Another key highlight of this legislation is the adoption of several measures aimed at improving gas pipeline safety, including increased fines for safety violations, provisions related to training and certifying utility contractors, and setting interim targets for companies to reduce leak rates. "This legislation enhances  public safety by reducing the number of gas leaks on the gas distribution systems while simultaneously reducing methane emitting into the atmosphere and requires proper training for all gas utility contractors, a win for every resident of Massachusetts" said Bob Akley, owner of Gas Safety, Inc. 

• Nature-Based Solutions and Muni-power Emissions Goals
  Senator Eldridge also championed legislation filed by Senator Marc Pacheco and Bruce Tarr to embrace Nature-Based Solutions and requiring that Municipal Power Plants transition to 100% Renewable Energy which are provisions in the Next Generation Roadmap bill. These provisions factor the "carbon sequestration" capacity of Massachusetts' natural and working lands directly into our emissions reduction plans. The incorporation of strategies that protect, restore, and better manage natural and working lands, such as forests, farms, and wetlands, to reduce and remove carbon emissions provide the Commonwealth the potential to significantly remove and reduce CO2 emissions. “Only by harnessing the power of nature-based solutions to remove and store carbon can Massachusetts reach Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions goals” said Steve Long, Director of Government Relations at The Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts. “Just as Senator Eldridge helped lead efforts to use nature to reduce the impacts of climate change, we can also enact policies to use nature to reduce and remove carbon pollution from the atmosphere. MetroWest communities have been great leaders on nature-based solutions by protecting conservation land and city parks, planting trees in urban neighborhoods, and removing dams to restore rivers.” This provision requires the creation of a first-time greenhouse gas emissions standard for municipal lighting plants that requires them to purchase 50 percent non-emitting electricity by 2030, 75 percent by 2040 and “net zero” by 2050. “The Municipal Light Plant applaud and appreciate our partnership with Senator Eldridge” said John G. Tzimorangas, President & CEO of Energy New England. “The senator is a tough negotiator, but we met until we agreed on language that benefited everyone. His district residents in Boxborough, Hudson, Littleton and Stowe join the other 37 statewide MLP’s with this historic Bill in helping to achieve the Commonwealth’s clean energy goals.”  

The Senate and House rejected efforts by Governor Baker to slow the rate of progress toward net-zero emissions by 2050, while accepting a number of more technical amendments that improved the bill. The Governor plans to sign the bill this week.

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